When clubs send players out on loan, it is usually to help them gain first-team experience, allow them to play football regularly, or even sometimes offload them from their wage bill.
But clubs do not send players out on loan in order to play against them — and they definitely do not enjoy being punished by a player they have allowed to leave temporarily.
This, though, could happen with Samuel Iling-Junior. Aston Villa sent him out on loan to Bologna in the summer, the team they face in the Champions League tomorrow night (Tuesday).
Can Iling-Junior play? What do the rules state? Has this happened before? The Athletic’s Eduardo Tansley explains.
A bit of background…
Iling-Junior is an England Under-21 international who joined Juventus from Chelsea’s academy in 2020. After featuring nine times for Juventus’ U-23 Serie C side Juventus Next Gen, he made 36 first-team appearances and scored twice for the Italian side.
The left-footer was usually deployed as a left wing-back for Juventus but is comfortable as a left-winger too.
Aston Villa signed Iling-Junior from Juventus last summer in a €22million ($18.6m; $23.6m) deal that included Enzo Barrenechea. Both players were signed on five-year contracts.
Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz went the other way, joining Juventus in a deal worth a guaranteed €50million — with a further €1.5m in add-ons.
Iling-Junior took part in pre-season games for Aston Villa but was not included in the opening two Premier League matchday squads against West Ham and Arsenal. Shortly after, he returned to Serie A on a season-long loan with Bologna.
Why can he play against Villa?
Remember when Philippe Coutinho — who is still a Villa player, albeit one out on loan at Vasco de Gama in Brazil — scored twice as Bayern Munich beat his parent club Barcelona 8-2 in the Champions League quarter-final in 2019-20?
Or, when Thibaut Courtois was part of Atletico Madrid’s team that knocked out Chelsea in the 2013-14 Champions League season? The same rules apply here. In UEFA competitions, loan players can feature against their parent club.
Chelsea tried to dissuade Atletico Madrid from playing Courtois by including a fee in his contract every time he featured against his parent club.
UEFA deemed this “null, void and unenforceable” and against their disciplinary regulations. These strictly forbid any club from attempting to exert “any influence whatsoever over the players that another club may (or may not) field in a match”.
Players can only appear for one club in UEFA competitions over a season. The only stipulation is that they can play in the first, second, or third qualifying round or the play-offs for one team and then from the group phase for another. Or, if a player makes the bench for one team (but does not play) and is later registered for another during the UEFA windows, they will be allowed to play for their new team.
Would the same apply in the Premier League?
No. Players cannot play against their parent club during loans.
This was changed after Lomana LuaLua scored a late equaliser against his parent club Newcastle in a 1-1 draw while on loan at Portsmouth in the 2003-04 season.
How has he performed for Bologna?
Iling-Junior has yet to start for Bologna but has made three substitute appearances in Serie A, scoring on his debut against Como. At only 21 years old, he is close to 40 Serie A appearances (39).
He has appeared in both of the club’s Champions League outings from the bench, coming on in the 79th minute against Liverpool. Bologna’s first-choice left-winger has been Switzerland international Dan Ndoye.
How have both teams done in the Champions League?
Aston Villa have started perfectly, winning both opening matches. Their 3-0 victory away at Young Boys was followed by the memorable 1-0 victory at Villa Park over Bayern Munich in a repeat of the 1982 European Cup final.
Bologna are yet to score in the Champions League but earned a point in a 0-0 draw at home to Shakhtar Donetsk in their opener. They then suffered a 2-0 defeat by Liverpool at Anfield.
(Top photo: Daniele Badolato – Juventus FC/Juventus FC via Getty Images)
